One Week to the Bix and still running with a sore left leg.

My apologies for “being away” for so long. I was lucky enough to book two projects back-to-back and the last one consumed me – 16-18 hour days for two weeks. Anyway, as you can read, I survived. Last week during the shoot I ran only 16 miles but spent a lot of time on my feet racing to a fro from the set to the agency and back, so in the end it probably added up to more than that.

This week I started with an 11.7 mile run. It was supposed to be 12 miles but I messed up and turned too early on the way out and lost the 3/10ths, none the less, I made it with only one block of walking around mile 10.5. As I’ve described, I got a clean bill of health from both my podiatrist and bone doctor on my leg. Those proclamations were confirmed by an MRI coming back clean. Yet, when I run I still have pain in my left shin.

The article below from Runners World describes similar pain and similar trips to massage therapists, doctors and the wizardry of shoe design. Toward the end of the article the writer describes how his pain was finally relieved by Dr. Sarno through psychotherapy. It seemed crazy enough to me that he might be onto something so I’ve been reading “The Divided Mind” by John Sarno and listening to it via Audiobook. Sarno says my tenderness is probably caused by deep seeded rage in my unconscious. Something all of us have and that the pain is a defense mechanism triggered by the subconscious. It’s all kind of over my head but I took his advice the other morning and wrote down the things that bug me both past and present and believe it or not the pain has moved from the shin to my knee. Something he said would happen!

Now I’m not one for pschotherapy, tried it once and really didn’t like it, but self reflection and acknowledgement of frustration, anger and even rage sounds like a healthy practice. After the Sunday run I iced the shin and was able to walk around fairly painless. I kept listening to Sarno who suggested I lose the calf support, knee braces and shoe inserts – basically called them crutches. I thought, why not? I’m feeling pretty good.

Well, not such a great plan. After a 6 mile run I could hardly walk. The muscles or tendons or whatever in there have grown use to having the support. I guess its like running barefoot – you have ease into this!! I’ve spent the last few days hobbling around the house trying to decide if my inner rage is causing the pain or if I really injurred myself. I think it’s the latter. The Bix 7 is coming up next week and for now that is the goal. I will take it easy until then, wear all the leg supports and continue to ask myself those internal questions – what are you mad about? Either that or just keep denying I have anything to be mad about…